Origins
by InMyOwnWords
Summary: Just a little exploration into Jackson Hyde, or Kaldur'ahm's origin. Black MantaxSiren AquamanxMera T for safety
1. Chapter 1

**My first DC story, honestly I have no idea what took me so long to write one. Maybe it was the fact that I FINALLY found an epic storyline and an interesting but not off the wall pairing.**

**Before We Get Started: This is Black Manta/David x Siren/Hila It's my little exploration on Jackson or Kaldur'ahm's origins. I and a few other fans believe that Hila is Kal's mother and I would LOVE to explore that storyline so here it is. This will be a two or three shot, I don't know yet depends on how lazy I get. Time line's are a bit crappy here, I didn't feel like getting everything synced up so don't come at me with butcher knives please. ^.^"**

**I own nothing.  
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**Enjoy!**

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><p>"Father! How could you let them do this to me?"<p>

The Xebel soldiers ignored the girls screams as they continued to experiment on her body. They carefully monitored the eight month old fetus in her womb, wondering exactly how the experimentation would effect the child. "That's all for tonight, tomorrow we're inducing labor...I want to see exactly what we have created." The head scientist declared as he swam away from the underwater lab.

Hila lay on the cold metal slab that had become so familiar to her in the last nine months. She shook in fear and in anger, how dare they do this to her, how dare her father allow this to happen. Did the king even know? What about Mera? She had to sense her twin sister's distress...unless they no longer cared for the trouble making princess. They were fine without her, especially Mera now that she was off gallivanting with that infuriating Aquaman. She was going to tell father about catching them together when she was escorted off by the colony's soldiers and taken to the lab where she had been for last eight months.

Her father probably wasn't looking for her, he was too busy doting on Mera and how 'wonderful and polite' she was. Mera would never break a rule, like going off to date Aquaman when it was clearly forbidden. Hila snorted, at the thought of even touching the Atlantean, she didn't understand how her sister was able to do it. Actually she wondered how Mera was able to function around the Xebel colony, everyone living there was bitter about being in exile and here comes Mera with a giant smile on her face and lighting up the room.

"Mera..." Hila growled under her breath.

It was Mera who had gotten her trapped down here, it was Mera who put her baby in danger. She knew Hila was going to tell on her so she did _this_ to her. Hila sighed, her goody two shoes of a twin would never think to do something like that, but it didn't stop her from hating the girl. Mera was betraying their colony by seeing Aquaman, yet she still did it and when Mera introduced her father to Black Manta all hell broke loose and she barely made it back to her room with her head. The supervillian obviously didn't sit well with the king and was banished before his name was even uttered. She never got to tell him that she was with child, or that she planned on leaving Xebel to be with him. Of course things would go wrong for the "bad seed" of the royal family, of course her child would come out to be some hideous, grotesque mutant because she had been so weak. Everything had to go wrong for her, she supposed it was her destiny, the sea gods cursed her somewhere down the line and now she had to deal with it.

Hila sighed and realized that no one was coming for her anytime soon and that she would have to wait until she gave birth to escape. She hoped that she could escape with her child, no matter how mutated the baby would be. She rubbed her swollen belly as best as she could because of her restraints and gasped when she felt a small kick. The baby's lack of movement scared her to no end, every now and again it would flutter, or shift a little, otherwise she got nothing. "I hope you're safe little one." she murmured as she fell into a deep sleep.

_"Mommy..." A soft voice whispered._

_Hila looked around the dark room confused, where was she? "Mommy...please..." the soft voice called._

_"Who's...who's there?" Hila questioned._

_She'd given up looking through the room because of the lack of light. "Mommy it hurts...everything hurts." the voice cried._

_A flash of light temporarily blinded her and she screamed in agony, the pain from the light seemed to burn every inch of her body. She opened her eyes to see a pair of dark, almond colored hands reaching out for her, she grabbed the hands and pulled the mysterious child towards her. When she was finally able to catch a glimpse of it's face it was pulled away from her and the blinding light returned. Along with the light came the pain._

"Someone is bound to hear her screams." one of the doctors over the project said to his colleague.

The two Xebel citizens watched Hila scream in agony as her child was cut from her womb. "By then we'll have our savior from this prison and they can have her...or whatever is left of her." the doctor smirked as he swam away.

The remaining doctor watched as a scientist pulled the infant from Hila's stomach and saw another doctor begin to haphazardly sew her up. The infant did not cry as he was pulled from his mother's womb or when the umbilical cord was cut. He feared for the infant until he saw that the child was breathing through the gills in it's neck, he also noted that the child was a boy. "Sir we have a problem." Another scientist said as he swam towards his leader.

"What?" He questioned.

"The king and his daughter are here, they know everything. It seems we had a spy among us." the younger said.

"Is that so? Abandon everything, leave the infant with it's mother, it is of no use to us now...but when he comes of age and is able to free us from our prison then we will use him."

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><p><strong>Did that suck as much as I think it did? Eh, so sue me. Again, some of the time line's don't work and I really didn't feel like making them work. It's summertime, I just graduated form high school, so I'm extremely lazy. I'm surprised I was able to type this up. Well, review!<strong>_  
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	2. Chapter 2

**One review and thirty or forty sum odd views and hits. Thanks? Lol, no I'm grateful for what I got. xD**

**By the way this is Kaldur/Jackson from Brightest Day, not that it matters because the YJ characters will have nothing to do with this.  
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**I own nothing.  
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**Enjoy!**

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><p>"When were you going to tell me?" The king growled angrily at his daughter.<p>

Hila ignored her father and stared at the small bundle in her sister's arms. The caramel colored baby was fussing in Mera's arms and Hila wanted nothing more than to hold him in her arms and make him feel better. She had yet to hold her own child and it was starting to take a toll on her. "Hila! When were you going to tell me that you were carrying his child?" The king asked in a softer tone.

"I never had the chance, as soon as I found out the scientists captured me and..." her voice trailed off and she stared at the baby, "May I?" she questioned.

Mera smiled and handed the baby over to her sister. "I picked a name for him...if that's okay with you." Mera said quietly.

Hila frowned, "Oh?"

"Yes, yes the name is Kaldur'ahm." Mera said happily.

"Kaldur'ahm? Why? What does it mean?" Hila questioned, wondering why her sister felt the need to name the child...her child.

"Oh, nothing special...just named after a friend." Mera stuttered.

Hila looked down into her son's light blue eyes and thought about the odd name her sister had come up with. "That will be his name...for now." Hila decided.

"Are you going to alert that...that man?" The king asked.

Black Manta, or David hadn't been around in a while, not that Hila would've known. She missed him, his touch, his kind words, the daredevil attitude they both seemed to share. Her disappearance must have taken a toll on him, after being through what he'd been through she knew he needed someone in his life, someone who would stay and not abandon him. Maybe baby Kaldur would bring them even closer together...maybe. Hila knew she had to find him first, but where was he? He lived on the surface world and Hila knew that traveling to the surface would with Kaldur wouldn't be a smart move, but she _needed _David. Mera could watch Kaldur until she got back, she trusted her sister to take care of the baby, even if she didn't like her at times.

"I will tell him on my own time." Hila told her father as she swam towards her quarters.

Once in her room, Hila placed her infant son on her bed and surrounded him with pillows she then began writing notes to her father and sister. Her plan was coming full circle and soon her while family would be together. She smiled at her son, who was asleep in the nest of pillows on her bed. "I'll see you soon, then everything will be perfect." Hila smiled.

She didn't know about the upcoming revolt, or the scientists coming back for Kaldur, or the decision Mera had to make in order to save the infant that would change everyone's lives for ever.

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><p><strong>Yeah it's short but the next chapter will be long and heartfelt and mushy and sad. =')<strong>

**R&R  
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	3. Chapter 3

**Three reviews. That's honestly enough to motivate me to update. Thanks to everyone following this story, I honestly didn't think anyone was going to read it so kudos to you guys for giving it a chance. :3**

**So they've never said Jackson's adoptive parents names...unless I completely missed it which I tend to do at times. In any case I made up their names and if anyone finds anything else on them tell me and I'll change it. (Actually I'm lazy as sin so it probably won't happen.)  
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**I own nothing.  
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**Enjoy!**

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><p>"He's such a strange child." Theo Hyde muttered to his wife while watching their young son play near the seashore.<p>

Donna nodded in agreement and marveled at Jackson's strange need to be near water. The seven year old boy would have tantrums if he wasn't allowed to be near the water. They constantly warned him about going in, but he was allowed to stand by the seashore, sometimes he was content to sit in the bathtub oddly enough. "Jackson, sweetheart, it's time to come in!" She called.

Jackson turned to his parents, the longing in his eyes scared them. Did he know? Did he sense something else out there? Had his real parents already contacted him? "Five more minutes please." The young boy pleaded.

Theo sighed, "Five more, then you come straight inside." He said, walking back towards their beachfront apartment.

Donna continued to watch Jackson, she noted that since he couldn't get into the water he opted for staring at the large body of water. She noticed that he sometimes made strange hand signs while near the water and she could have sworn she saw the water move as Jackson moved his small hands in odd formations. "Alright, it's been five minutes." She called, feeling a little guilty for pulling her son away from something that made him feel at peace.

Jackson turned and walked towards his mother with a frown on his face, once he reached her, he bit his lip and looked down, "Mommy... Can I... May I go in next time?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

The boy was always soft spoken, something his parents hoped he would grow out of. His teachers constantly told Donna and Theo that Jackson never spoke unless called on in class and had only one friend. Donna blamed the strange tattoos Jackson had since birth, they caused people to stare at him and sometimes judge their parenting without even knowing the story. Telling people that the markings were birthmarks was hard because of the intricate designs, but people eventually believed them. "You know we don't like you going in the water, it's dangerous." Donna told him as she grabbed his hand.

Jackson stayed silent for a moment, "Is it because of what happens in the tub? It's not normal is it? That's why I"m not supposed to tell people." he sighed.

Donna sighed, she hated how perceptive the small boy was at times. "Yes that's exactly why, but you are normal Jackson. You're just special."

"I don't like being special, it keeps me away from..." Jackson's voice trailed off as he looked back at the ocean.

He longed to be in the water, it called to him, made him happy, made him feel...free. As he stared at the large body of water he saw a woman in the water, her lower half was completely submerged but he could see her face and he wanted nothing more than to go to her. "Come on honey, dad made dinner it's your favorite." Donna said, almost exasperated with her son.

She felt for him, she wished she could let him swim to his hearts content but she knew it would put him in danger. Being seven Jackson wouldn't understand that so that made the situation even more difficult until he got older. "But mommy..." Jackson started.

"Jackson, we've had these discussions before, if you want to come back tomorrow we need to be at dinner on time." Donna sighed.

Jackson nodded sadly and walked with his mother to their apartment, he took one last glance towards the ocean but didn't spot the mysterious woman he saw. He wanted to know more about her, he wanted to see her, hug her, tell her that he was okay, he didn't know why he felt drawn to the woman but he did. "Mommy...why am I so drawn to the water?" he asked quietly.

Donna frowned and stopped walking, she knelt down towards her son and took his face in her hands, "Jackson the water makes you feel calm, the way reading makes me feel calm. We all have things that make us feel good and water just happens to be your thing." She explained as lightly as she could.

She stood and grabbed her sons hand again and walked into their home.

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><p><strong>I lied about it being longer...I also lied about it being a three shot. So there's sort of a win in there for you guys. <strong>

**R&R  
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	4. Chapter 4

**I get to answer questions, yay. :)**

**For the sake of simplicity Kaldur will eventually join the Young Justice team instead of the titans like in the comic. BUT Kaldur will resemble his comic book counterpart in this story, cause I like his dreadlocks (Another cutsey face :3).**

**Don't judge me guys, I love YJ Kaldur to death but the comic version is cooler looking. Lol If you guys haven't seen him I'll put the link on my profile, he looks so bad ass in the comic. xD**

**Continuity between DC comics and the cartoons sucks, but I realize that the comics are a tad (...ok a lot) more graphic than the CN shows are. Explains why Justice League was eventually moved to Toonami instead being shown on regular CN. I say this because I think Garth is dead in YJ if I'm not mistaken, again I'm not good with time lines so maybe he isn't but I do know that he shouldn't be as old as Kaldur. But, I put Garth in the story because he's...well he's Garth but he's The Tempest because him being the same age as Kaldur bothered the hell out of me.  
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**I own nothing.  
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**Enjoy!**

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><p>Mera paced back and forth in the throne room of the palace she now shared with her husband Aquaman, or Arthur as she called him when they were alone. She was upset about the news she'd just heard when listening in on a private meeting Aquaman had been having with a few members of the league. Apparently the citizens of Xebel were back to their old tricks and had Hila, Mera's twin sister leading them along with Black Manta who'd been quiet for a few years...until now. "I should tell them what I know..." Mera muttered.<p>

"Tell who, what you know?"

Mera jumped and turned with her hand on her chest, "Garth, you scared me." she sighed.

Garth smiled, "Sorry about that, I was just worried. Why were you talking to yourself?"

"Oh, I'm just a little worried, and when I worry I tend to talk to myself." Mera chuckled nervously.

"Alright then, when you're ready to talk I'm here." Garth said as he swam away from the queen.

Mera sighed, how was she supposed to tell Aquaman something she should have told him years ago? She knew the Xebel colonists would come back for Kaldur'ahm, she knew she was going to have to alert Aquaman to the upcoming war to use Kaldur to free the Xebel citizens from their prison. Aquaman was sure to be angry about what she'd been hiding for nearly fifteen years, and she couldn't even think of what she was going to tell Kaldur and his adoptive parents. Mera began pacing again as she tried to figure out the most delicate way to tell everyone about what was about to take place. She knew she couldn't wait another second so she turned, took a deep breath, and swam toward the room where Aquaman was still meeting with Aquagirl, and Garth. "Arthur may I speak to you for a moment?" Mera questioned.

The three heroes turned to the queen in surprise, she never called Aquaman, Arthur unless they were alone or unless it was something urgent. "Mera can this wait? We're having a very important meeting." Aquaman said as he swam over to his wife.

"No this can't wait. There are some things I have to tell you about the Xebel colony, and Kaldur'ahm, and..."

"Cal Durham is dead Mera, you know that and we will handle the Xebel colony, I know you're worried about your sister but we can handle this." Aquaman assured her.

"No! Not Cal Durham, Kaldur'ahm, or Kaldur is what Hila used to calm him..." Mera's voice trailed off and she took a deep breath.

"Mera," Aquaman looked at his flustered wife with a frown, "What's going on?"

"When Hila and I were in our seventeenth year she began seeing David, or as you know him Black Manta. One day Hila was complaining about being sick, the next she was gone, father and I didn't see her for nine months. Finally one of our soldiers alerted us that Hila had been taken by scientists, when we got to her she'd had a baby. He's been experimented on while in the womb but the only peculiar thing about him was the strange tattoos on his arms so I never thought much of it. One day Hila disappeared, I knew it was so she could search for Kaldur's father, but I don't know why she wanted him in her life...anyway, the scientists saw this as their chance to take Kaldur and turn him into their key out of exile so I did what I had to..." Mera's voice trailed off and she quickly wiped a stray tear that had fallen down her face.

"What did you do?" Aquaman questioned.

Mera didn't like the ton of his voice, she knew he was angry that she never disclosed such important information. He had to understand that she did it for Kaldur's sake, the less everyone knew of his whereabouts the better. "I took him and brought him to the surface world, as soon as I touched dry land his gills disappeared and the webbing between his fingers vanished it was amazing, I'd never seen anything like it and...well, I quickly found a young couple who would take care of him and told them that he should never go near water so that no one would be able to sense that he was still alive. But now the Xebel soldiers are looking for him along with Hila and Black Manta." She said.

Aquaman frowned and rubbed his temples, "Now that they're after him it looks like we have to find him first."

And with that he swam away without another word to Mera.

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><p>"Jackson the water won't bite." Maria, Jackson's on and off girlfriend laughed as she splashed her boyfriend with water.<p>

Jackson jumped back as a scowl appeared on his face, "I can't swim and I hate the water so just drop it okay?" the teen pleaded as he ran his hands through his black dreadlocks.

"Fine scaredy cat I won't bother you about it anymore." Maria chuckled.

Jackson continued to walk on the sand, trying to ignore the urge to jump in and swim to his hearts content. The ocean still called to him as it did when he was a little boy, he just knew better now. Showers, baths, and unexpected rain showers showed him that water wasn't his friend. The strange changes he went through in the water scared him now that he was older, exactly what kind of freak was he? He knew there were superheroes out their with stranger appearances than his but he wasn't a superhero, he was supposed to blend in but how could he do that with gills appearing on his neck every time it rained? "Um, Jackson?"

"Huh? What?" Jackson asked, annoyed about being broken out of his thoughts.

"Are your birthmarks supposed to glow like that?" Maria asked, her eyes wide.

Jackson glanced at his arms and saw the strange markings on his arms glowing bright blue, he frowned and looked around hoping no one else was watching. "No...I've never seen them do this before." He said, his voice cracking.

"Maybe we should get you home." Maria suggested.

"What a wonderful suggestion! Home is exactly where he belongs!"

The two teens turned their heads toward two figures standing only a few feet away from them. The woman wore a red and gold skintight body suit with what looked like a gold crown nestled in her red tresses, the man wore a black body suit and held a large metal helmet in his arms. "Who are you?" Jackson asked, a little put off that the couple was able to sneak up on them like that.

"We'll tell you in a minute, in the mean time why don't you go for a swim?" The woman smiled.

"Jackson let's go, I don't like these nut jobs." Maria whispered.

_"Forget the girl Kaldur'ahm, forget everything. Go to what has been calling to you all of your life."_

"What the hell..." Jackson muttered.

_"Kaldur'ahm you've never belonged here on the surface world, you belong in the ocean."_

"Jackson let's go!" Maria shouted.

The woman's arm shot out and a large wave that came from nowhere engulfed Maria and swept her out into the ocean. "Maria!" Jackson screamed, before running into the water and diving in.

The changes took place faster than they usually did, Jackson's gills formed on the sides of his neck while the webbing between his fingers appeared, his eyes began to glow an eerie blue color as he searched underwater for his girlfriend. Meanwhile on the surface Hila and Black Manta stood with identical smirks on their faces. "It's only a matter of time." Hila chuckled.

"What a way to have a family reunion." Black Manta said while placing his helmet on his head.

"Oh the fun has only begun, wait until Mera and Arthur arrive."


End file.
